The Battle of Stalingrad was a major turning point in World War II and is considered one of the bloodiest and largest battles in human history. The battle was marked by unprecedented brutality and the disregard for civilian casualties on both sides, as well as a testiment to the world the scale of devastation the Eastern Front had reached as a result of clash of ideologies. Total casualties are estimated at up to two million. The lack of exact data is the result of the Soviet government's refusal at the time to calculate the losses for fear the sacrifice might have proven too high. The Axis powers lost about a quarter of their total manpower on the Eastern Front, and never completely recovered from the defeat. For the Soviets, the victory at Stalingrad marked the start of the liberation of the Soviet Union, leading to eventual victory over Nazi Germany in May 1945.